Healthy Moms Blog

On organic food, cleaning products and finding my mom identity

As a naturopathic doctor and doula, many of my patients are interested in having a natural birth, either at the hospital with minimal intervention or at home. Unfortunately, women with this goal often feel unsure about whether it is possible and safe for them. It has sadly become the norm to consider labour and delivery as a medical procedure that must be performed in a hospital. However, it doesn’t need to be that way, especially for low-risk and healthy pregnancies. For the majority of women, with the necessary education, preparation, and support, a natural birth is a very attainable goal! My mission as a naturopathic doctor, doula, and birth educator is to help women understand how to prepare for a natural birth without letting our culture of fearing the birth process take over.

Time really does fly, especially when you have kids. How is it already March?! The sun is shining, Wiarton Willie, our Ontario groundhog, predicted an early spring, and the clocks are moving forward again. Get ready as Daylight Savings Time kicks in again at midnight on Sunday, March 12th.

If there’s one topic every new parent wants to talk about, it’s sleep. When should my baby go to sleep? How long should they be up for? What is a proper bedtime? These are common questions that I get, as a sleep consultant. Trying to figure it all out can make a new parent's head spin. There is a lot of great information online, but let me break it down for you.

Remember this is a rough guideline. Watch your baby and look for those tired signs!

At some point, every new parent learns that babies who are wonderful sleepers from the moment they’re born until they move out as adults, are a myth. Whether your baby is a short napper, a frequent night time nurser, in the midst of a sleep regression, or colicky, you may find yourself frantically looking for answers on Dr. Google in the middle of the night.